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New York Cannabis News

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member

vapviking

Old & In the Way
About 2 weeks ago,

In other news, about 2 weeks ago I visited Empire's newest location in Williamsburg.
Very nice neighborhood, easy parking.
Been enjoying discount oz's of Lemon Cherry Gelato and Oreoz.
I also like the Calypso brand live resin carts!
 

Razhumikin

Well-Known Member
The amount of stores openly selling Cali weed in Astoria has balloooned, theres got to be at least a dozen of them, if not more. They all sell basically the same thing at basically the same elevated prices though, which is dissapointing. Im looking forward to competition bringing the prices down and quality eventually, but until then ill stick with the long drive up to Maine.
 

VapeEscapist

Medicine Buddha
https://www.curbed.com/2022/09/weed-bodega-nyc-everywhere-for-now.html

"Neither brother was surprised that other owners wouldn’t talk to me. “Everybody’s scared,” F explained. Some illicit operators will be denied a license. Others will just shut down of their own accord. The regulated market here will entail tons of costs beyond licensing, which those waiting have heard will total $250,000, including security, safety, and more, even before sales tax. “You’re losing 50 to 60 percent by being legal that you’re paying for compliance,” said Earl McGhee, a consultant who works in cannabis distribution in California and has closely followed the situation in New York."

I can see sooo many places going down hard in the new year. Good riddance to these shops perpetuating low brow cannabis culture.

I've done some pretty extensive research in the Astoria shops and they all sell the same shit (as pointed out above) and the guys behind the counter are no more qualified to sell you dog food then they are cannabis. I had the guy at Zaza try to tell me that CBD stands for "can't be dank"... JFC

Meanwhile, my black market guy has a greater variety and +- $200 ounces of quality commercial indoor. In fact, my guy has connections to more growers than most shops ever will, offering me options from organic outdoor to Jungle Boys which means I'm always grabbing novel strains.

90% of cannabis users are woefully uneducated, which has always been the case. Unfortunately this means these shops can get away with selling just about anything. People just want to see a purple bud in a mylar bag apparently. :doh:
 

vapviking

Old & In the Way
Meanwhile, my black market guy has a greater variety and +- $200 ounces of quality commercial indoor. In fact, my guy has connections to more growers than most shops ever will
Knowing your dealer and that he has good connections doesn't justify your (or his) participation in black market. You continually put down the broader black market for its' ignorance and possible safety hazards, along with the interference in your wanting to establish your own canna business to profit from all of this. You're just saying you currently have a better illegal supply chain than the average user does.

Maybe you know someone with great connections, bringing you great flower form known sources; most people in NY do not have that. Would you have them (most canna users in NY?) abstaining until you (or big pharma) ride in on a legal horse to sell to them?
My connection has been bringing me the same outdoor cali stuff for years, has a friend who mails it to him.
To this day he cannot tell me what strain it may or may not be. He could care less. He just says it is plenty strong (which is surely debatable). When I go to Empire Cannabis I do have some confidence that they care about their supply chain more than my 'guy' does (and have some knowledgeable peeps keeping track).

The canna world is going to be changing very fast, possibly starting pretty soon. California is looking to legalize mail order cannabis interstate... which will be a ways out, but these kinds of changes will make this a very shaky industry in which to be selling your edibles, etc.
 

VapeEscapist

Medicine Buddha
Knowing your dealer and that he has good connections doesn't justify your (or his) participation in black market. You continually put down the broader black market for its' ignorance and possible safety hazards, along with the interference in your wanting to establish your own canna business to profit from all of this. You're just saying you currently have a better illegal supply chain than the average user does.
I'm not in any danger of Cali horning in on the FRESH baked edibles market, but I appreciate your concern.

Constantly? In(ter)ference? I did not say anything about safety hazards in my last post. No amount of hyperbole and misdirection of my central point will lend much credence to your response. I also don't appreciate the implication that I am involved in anything illicit.

I am a legally registered home baker and will parlay that into an artisanal edibles brand which may likely culminate in a shop. I have a cannabis lawyer, investors, and a registered brand. Many people who have opened these shops are opportunists and not people who actually respect the plant or the consumer.

The black market isn't going anywhere, ever. Many of the legit places in other states sell the stuff they're supposed to burn or let a bunch of it "fall off the back of a truck". Half the market in Cali is still black market. We all know this, right?

My point was the degradation of an already looked down upon culture of cannabis consumption, something I think most vape enthusiasts would agree with. If you think we need shops like "Eggzatic" with a smoking bored ape on their awning and rubber Homer Simpson bongs or a mural of Daffy Duck choking on a bong hit, then you and I are of completely different minds.

Yes I have better access to variety through my dealer of nearly a decade and yes he absolutely has a better selection from a few verified sources and generally better prices but that was merely an aside and a byproduct of being a native NYer. From what I've been told, NYC currently has only about a half dozen major "importers" of what you would consider "top shelf". This is why most of the menus you see have a lot of the same strains.

And well while you brought up safety, the proliferation of 25%+ THC strains is actually harmful to the average consumer. This means that most casual consumers are overdosing and being put at risk for more anxiety, paranoia, and neurotic side effects. I only saw greenhouse being sold in maybe 2-3 shops, which is a shame because good greenhouse is fantastic and generally a little milder but better balanced.
 
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vapviking

Old & In the Way
I also don't appreciate the implication that I am involved in anything illicit.
Oh, I thought you were talking about your black market source being better than the bodegas in Astoria.
Doesn't that qualify as 'illicit'?

and the guys behind the counter are no more qualified to sell you dog food then they are cannabis
I thought your concern here was about lack of safe, knowledgeable presentation. So I thought you were bringing up safety.

I'm not in any danger of Cali horning in on the FRESH baked edibles market, but I appreciate your concern.
My point was that you should be aware that competition will grow exponentially at some point, when interstate trade in cannabis becomes legal. So maybe not cali edibles, but how about NJ, or VT, or CT edidles? Hey, I know an established canna baker in MA who would love to expand, that might give you some competition.

" If you think we need shops like "Eggzatic" with a smoking bored ape on their awning and rubber Homer Simpson bongs or a mural of Daffy Duck choking on a bong hit, then you and I are of completely different minds."
No, it's not that I think we need these shops, I just acknowledge the place we seem to be at in NY currently, which is a transition. You and I may not really be so different in our hopes for the future of cannabis in our culture. I am fully aware that by this time next year most all of the bodega sales will go back underground whence they came.
Have you 'researched' Empire Cannabis? Certainly a cut above bodegas, while still not dispensary level staff, I do hope Empire gets a shot at becoming a bona fide. btw, they tell us if the herb is Greenhouse, Outdoor, Mixed Light or Electric Light grown. Also a 'Diamond Cut' that I think means it is grown indoor from seed and hand trimmed, not from clones (not positive about that tier; I can't afford it anyway!)
 
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VapeEscapist

Medicine Buddha
that might give you some competition.
Ehhhh, if you knew more about my future business model(s), you'd know someone in MA couldn't compete.

place we seem to be at in NY currently, which is a transition.
I acknowledge this as well. We're into like phase 2 of 5 with legalization I would guess.

1: Black Market bonanza
2: Wild West of the gray coats
3: Regulation/license scramble
4: Cease and desist, the great dying
5: Denouement, let the chips fall where they may

Have you 'researched' Empire Cannabis? Certainly a cut above bodegas, while still not dispensary level staff,
I've met maybe just a couple bud tenders at dispensaries that really seemed to know their products. I've personally tried my best to educate people since the days of High Times/Ed Rosenthal. The degree of misinformation and urban legend that still abounds around cannabis is woefully high.

I've found that most serious growers reliably know more than I. Last year in Amsterdam I was talking to a tender at one of the major shops who was also a grower, his knowledge base blew me away. It was pretty eye opening to hear that next level perspective.

And yes, I've seen how Empire does their thing and it's certainly better than the bored ape bodegas but far from what I would hope to see in the future.
 

NYC_Frank

"A man with no vices is a man with no virtues"
https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/...-dasheeda-dawson-named-city-cannabis-czarina/

20221012-174442.jpg
 

vinnyzan

Well-Known Member

Based on the article people working at this shop were arrested. Are these people now considered "justice affected individuals" and will get priority for a permit ? All of this is just virtue signaling...these politicians don't care about the things they claim to. All of this is just a fugazzi. They need to be the gate keepers to make sure they can enrich themselves because this is projected to be a big $ business. If the same time and resources were put into issuing permits we could have legit stores open by now. How long has it been ? and we still have no permits issued ? Don't let these slick motherfuckers play you for a fool. Social justice my ass....this is about $.
 

Razhumikin

Well-Known Member
Just wanna say ive been still loving Bud N' Budder on Broadway in Astoria. They have 3 strains right now for $125/ounce, plus a bunch of nice house strains for $30/eighth. Im enjoying some pineapple og, gorilla glue #4, and og kush from them rn, and its def some of the nicer bud ive gotten from the grey market.
 

BigJr48

Well-Known Member
Just wanna say ive been still loving Bud N' Budder on Broadway in Astoria. They have 3 strains right now for $125/ounce, plus a bunch of nice house strains for $30/eighth. Im enjoying some pineapple og, gorilla glue #4, and og kush from them rn, and its def some of the nicer bud ive gotten from the grey market.
I'm going to hop on that #7 train and check them out!!!!!
 

vinnyzan

Well-Known Member
Just wanna say ive been still loving Bud N' Budder on Broadway in Astoria. They have 3 strains right now for $125/ounce, plus a bunch of nice house strains for $30/eighth. Im enjoying some pineapple og, gorilla glue #4, and og kush from them rn, and its def some of the nicer bud ive gotten from the grey market.
I went there last week after seeing you post about them, I got an 8th for $55 and it's some tasty stuff. I was looking at some of the cheaper strains on display and they all looked pretty good. Have you tried any of the strains available for $125 a zip ?
 

Razhumikin

Well-Known Member
I went there last week after seeing you post about them, I got an 8th for $55 and it's some tasty stuff. I was looking at some of the cheaper strains on display and they all looked pretty good. Have you tried any of the strains available for $125 a zip ?
Yea i have the OG Kush and its pretty nice. It definitely needed a few days with a 62% boveda, but now that its been rehydrated and cured a little more, it tastes nice, especially so for such a cheap O.
 

vapviking

Old & In the Way

How New York City Became a Free-for-All of Unlicensed Weed​

Shops selling weed have proliferated since the state legalized cannabis last year, thriving in confusion over their legality and a lack of enforcement.
Sorry, w/o subscription some of us are not able to view these from NYT (though I do play the Wordle every day!).

But I have been availing myself of these opportunities, to get somewhat better product than my 'guy' was bringing for a decade. I have appreciated Empire Cannabis, made a bunch of trips to their stores, and I hope they can get licensing, having read their back-story. But I won't be going there (NYC) once something decent opens up in Westchester!
For the time being, I've just come into a nice stash of local-grown Skittlez, won't need be going to any outlet for a while...except as a curiosity.
 
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